by John Harrington
Public support for a smoking ban in pubs has risen sharply in recent years, but two-thirds of people still oppose a total ban.
These are the findings of a new survey from the Office of National Statistics (ONS), which monitors people's changing attitudes to smoking.
The proportion of people who supported a complete ban on smoking in pubs increased from 20% in 2003 to 31% in 2004.
The most popular choice supported by 47% of people was for pubs to be mainly non-smoking with smoking allowed only in designated areas. Just 16% wanted pubs to be mainly smoking with a designated non-smoking area.
Overall, 65% of people favoured a restriction on smoking in pubs compared to 56% in 2003 and 48% in 1996.
The survey also suggests that smoking restrictions would not deter the bulk of customers from visiting pubs.
Thirty per cent of smokers said they would visit a pub more often if smoking was restricted. Even among smokers, the vast majority 85% said they would visit about as often as they do now. Just 12% said they would visit pubs less often.
Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers chief executive Nick Bish said he did not believe anyone was under the impression that there would not be a smoking ban at some stage.
'Our job is to manage and delay that for as long as possible to minimise the commercial damage, he explained.
'The battle we've been engaged in has by and large been successful as a delaying tactic. The reason we need a delay is that there's a lot of adults who smoke and don't want to alter their habits.
The survey also points to an increasing lack of tolerance for second-hand smoke among non-smokers.
Sixty per cent of non-smokers said they mind if people smoke near them up from 56% in 2003.
A survey in the Morning Advertiser last week showed that one-third of people avoid pubs because they are too smoky.